The French New Wave

BACKGROUND

La Nouvelle Vague began with a group of 5 filmmakers who had a strong influence of film theory and criticism whilst writing for the magazine Cahiers du Cinéma. These 5 filmmakers and critics Truffaut, Godard, Chabrol, Rivette and Rohmer, changed the notion on how film could be made which came from a desire to forge a new cinema, and thus the Nouvelle Vague was born. A group of directors who collaborated and assisted one another and developed a unique sense of form and style and narrative that makes their work instantly recognisable.

PHILOSOPHY

Existentialism was a major influence, which evolved in France and was particularly associated with Jean Paul Sartre. It expressed the individual, stressed the experience of free choice and the absence of rational understanding. Perhaps this was the cause of so many women taking different roles to those that were pre-assigned by society. Characters were young anti heroes; loners with no family ties and they behaved spontaneously and immorally.

There was much cynicism regarding politics. In A Bout de Souffle, the protagonist kills and shows no remorse and in Cléo de 5 à 7, the woman stops playing the roles expected of her as the woman with cancer, and instead lives dangerously.

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CAMERA WORK

The films made by les auteurs used lightweight, hand held cameras for easy shots along the streets of Paris, which were reminiscent of many films made, such as A Bout de Souffle and Les Quatres Cents Coups. The films were shot cheaply, quickly, and effectively encouraged experimentation and improvisation which gave the directors more freedom in their work.

We see a casual and very natural look; with on location filming, the mise en scene of Parisian streets, coffee bars a defining feature of works by Truffaut, Godard et al. The one and only camera that was used, was mobile, ...

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